SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Yes, it is a fairly short book, almost a novella, so it's more difficult to fully develop characters. Who is your favourite and why? Or is there only one character in the book?

I have to say that I didn't really like any of the characters in the book. They were so shallow and self-indulgent. I think the best character may have been the Magic Kingdom itself. It somehow became more of a character than a setting.

I have a feeling that if Zoya had developed into a character beyond the two-three page account (though there wasn't much need for anything more) I would have enjoyed her story a lot. The spontaneously crazy always catches my interest.

I would have liked to learn more about Zoya too.

I am not finished yet, only about half way, but I am really liking Julius.

I agree with Sandi. One the least appealing aspects of the book for me was how unappealing the characters are. I found them all unsympathetically self-indulgent. That didn't completely keep me from enjoying the book, I just simply couldn't relate to any of the characters.

If I had to pick one, I suppose it would be Dan. He as the most interesting personality and back story.

Hard to say more without spoilers.

I'm starting to feel like I am the only person who liked the characters in this book. I really liked Julius, Lil, Dan and Tim. And I found Julius and Dan particularly sympathetic.

I found Dan to be the most interesting. I think that he holds up the flag for our current values in a non-preachy way. He accepted the world around him, but he didn't want to buy into it.

Isn't the "shallowness" of the characters the point of the story, though? And aren't they a reflection of the many people we meet, or see, or who are created in the media?

How in-depth do news stories go, these days, for example? The most sensationalistic, visually or content-wise, the longer it stays, and it's not long at all.

Shallowness is exactly the point of the story. But, I found that the shallowness of the characters made them pretty unlikable. Isn't that how it works in real life too?

I couldn't agree more Sandi. It was definitely a major point in the story, which makes it interesting.. but it also kept me from connecting with or enjoying the characters.

I think the story could have been much richer if Doctorow had inserted an anti-hero of sorts. One that initially seems to embrace the doctrine of the society, but that ultimately shows more depth and a resistance to the shallowness that permeates everyone and everything.

Dan almost does that, but he's not the main character and isn't developed as much as I wanted him to be.

Jen, you're right about Dan. He did have the potential to transcend the shallowness in the beginning. But, I think he ended up succumbing to it just like everyone else. I think that's what his affair with Lil signified.

My favorite character is Marvin the depressed robot, from Hitchhickers Guide to the galaxy. Do I have to say why? He's hillarious. Love Marvin!!! Another one is Silk from The Belgariad. Another hillarious character!!!

Oops, sorry I didn't realize it was from a specific book. I thought it was a general topic. Sorry.